A-Infos (en) Australia, Sydney, Social Centre facing EVICTION!

[Worker <a-infos-en@ainfos.ca>]

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from Jeremy Kerbel <jeremy.kerbel-A-uts.edu.au>
The social centre is facing eviction on this coming Monday (15th September).
But weÕre going to:
1) go ahead with the events of the next few days (and make them as big as possible)
2) attempt to negotiate further with the owner, and present them with info on
Ôopen spaces, temporary places public liabilityÕ etc
3) have a SCAN meeting at 6pm on Friday at the Social Centre.
4) have an eviction protest/couch potato party/Big Brother eviction party on
couches in the street outside the building on Monday evening from 5pm.
Please help organise all this!

_____Things to do:_____
1) Build Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday events.
2) Research documents and development proposal for negotiating with owner (call
Mick)
3) Talk to other groups to try and get expressions of support for the social
centre (preferably written) to help with negotiating with the owner. (eg
Shelter Australia, CFMEU, Greens, Student associations etc)


_____What has been happening exactly?_____
-a
t 6.48pm last night (Wednesday) the cops rang the SCAN phone and said that we
were in Ôillegal occupationÕ and Ôneeded to call them urgentlyÕ otherwise
thereÕd be a Ôforced entryÕ that night.
-After talking a bit we called the cops and tried to suss out the situation,
and said we thought we were in a legal situation. They sounded like the owner
had put them up to it.
-The owner called about 10 minutes later and began telling us to leave. We
tried to negotiate for more time and talked about being a community
organization etc.
-The owner arrived at the building (whilst talking on the phone) and got in
when someone opened the door to let in two friends who were there for the film
night.
-We then negotiated with three owners (five cops behind them) standing in the
entry room. They wanted us out that night, but we talked them round a bit.
Their main argument was about liability and bad timing Ð they have a
development proposal at some crucial stage.
-After much talking and after
handing over a key the owner agreed to let us stay until Monday. But we must
get out then and in the mean time weÕre only meant to use the building to get
our stuff out.
-The cops appeared totally clueless (ÔWhatÕs SCAN?Õ ÔHow many people are living
here?Õ). They acted like they were mediating a civil dispute between owner and
ordinary squatters. They didnÕt behave as if they knew we were activists or
this was a social centre.

-After they all left we had a meeting and decided to go ahead with the events
as planned and try to make them big. (Thursday 7pm hip hop night, Friday 7pm
crowbars by candlelight drinks and dating, Saturday 6pm RTS afterparty). We
will also to try and negotiate further with the owner, first by mail, but
hopefully meeting in person too. On Friday at 6pm thereÕs a SCAN meeting to
discuss what to do. On Monday evening we want to have a party/protest of some
sort Ð but this depends on whether we get anywhere with the owner (Big Brother
Eviction Party/Couch
  Potato Party Ð on couches in the street outside?). We will have a letter to
the police in case they turn up at any of the events telling them weÕve got
till Monday.

This looks like it, letÕs make it big!

:)
Jeremy


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